skydave238

Members
  • Content

    84
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

Community Reputation

0 Neutral

Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    67
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    113
  • AAD
    Cypres 2

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Ground Rush Adventures
  • License
    D
  • License Number
    28
  • Licensing Organization
    PANAM
  • Number of Jumps
    10500
  • Tunnel Hours
    1
  • Years in Sport
    14
  • First Choice Discipline
    Freefall Photography
  • First Choice Discipline Jump Total
    9000
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Swooping
  • Freefall Photographer
    No

Ratings and Rigging

  • AFF
    Instructor
  • USPA Coach
    Yes
  • Pro Rating
    Yes
  • Wingsuit Instructor
    No

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

  1. Yip. Im the CI at Ground Rush. We most certainly do love having fun jumpers around. As a primary tourist destination we have quite a few foreign jumpers passing through our dropzone. Namibia is also a beautiful country to visit. There is plenty to do and see here. Pop me a private message if you guys are keen and I can send you some info. Blue skies, Dave Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  2. You should come to Namibia. or sorry Nambia as its now known.. Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  3. Hi guys, Looking at getting a new audible and curious what others are using. Im currently using an old neptune 2. Works just fine but the screen is damaged so i can't change any of the altitudes anymore. Which kinda sucks. A quick look on paragear and there are so many different audibles out there. Which ones are geared towards swooping. Thanx all, Dave Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  4. And dont forget you can travel up north to Namibia. Ground Rush Adventures are running an xmas boogie in Swakopmund.
  5. Are the linesets the same? Probably not if there is a difference in riser pressure. I had 2 84's a few years ago. Both were made around the same time and both had roughly the same jumps. When I initially got them they flew completely different. Once i relined them both they flew the same. D Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  6. I did about 4000+ jumps on a katana120. Yes the openings can be interesting. Yes there are nicer opening canopies. But if you learn to fly your openings then you'll get used to the way it opens and it wont bother you so much. Plus its great practice if you ever jump a velocity one day (great canopy, worst openings ever). Great canopy for someone with your jumps and coming off a stiletto. I did the same many years ago. What a great canopy it was to learn how to swoop properly before going on to a velo and now a valkyrie. I still take it for a jump every now and then and swoop the sh1t out of it! Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  7. Hi guys, Im trying to get a feel from others about the lifespan of the lineset on the new valkyrie/leia/helix type of canopies. This is specifically aimed at guys using their canopies as "work" canopies. (Camera guys!) What lines do the different manufacturers offer and how many jumps do you typically get out of a lineset before you need to replace the lines? I jump a valkyrie67 loaded just over 2.2. Ive had both the original orange vectran and the new hma lines on my canopy. I would say the most i could have got out the OV500 is 450 jumps. I had two line sets of OV500 and did about 950 jumps between them. Im about 300 jumps in on the HMA500 and im probably gonna change the lines out in the next 100 jumps. Its so difficult to tell how worn HMA is that I would rather change them out earlier. I jump in the Namib desert right next to the ocean. So my lines probably wear out slightly faster than someone landing on grass. Im mainly asking because im looking to get another s-type canopy to replace my old velo. As much as I love my valkyrie, i might also like to jump something different, as long as im getting similar life out of the linesets. Any info you are willing to share is greatly appreciated! Dave Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  8. Ive had 3 tension knots on my valkyries original lineset. 1st one was at 355 jumps. At that time there was significantly more wear to the outside A lines compared to the others. Obviously at this time there were not any other reported cases so we put the tension knots down to packing error. 2nd tension knot happened at 385 jumps. At this point we realised something was not right. We decided to change the outside A lines. My rigger didnt have any OV so we put on some 500lb hma. We also rubed candle wax along the other lines to help with the fuzziness. This seemed to solve the issue for awhile. Now while the lines did look slightly fuzzy, they did not look terrible. 3rd pressure knot was at 520 jumps. The outside hma line we put on was fine but the ov lines were now significantly more fuzzy. But comparing to my velociry at 500 jumps the line wear was the same. If these lines were on my velocity i would definitely have carried on jumping them without a second thought. Knowing what i do now i would have probably only done 350 jumps on my valkyrie before relining. While the candle wax helped for a 100 jumps it did not solve the problem and was a pain in the ass rubbing it in every 10 jumps or so. Im now on my second lineset. I ordered a spare pair of outer AB lines when i ordered my lineset. Those went on after 200 jumps. Im at 280 jumps on my current lineset and am watching the opening very closely for the signs of a tension knot. But i must say again that the lines themselves do not look like they need replacing yet. So i would suggest that if u are looking at the wear on your valkyrie lines that u dont compare them to those of your velocity. I must take my hat off to PD for listening to their customers and making a valient effort to keep them happy and safe. I have chosen the hma lineset as a replacement and will happily follow up if there are significant changes as the lines wear. I will say that im not to concerned if i still only get 500 jumps out the hma lineset as long as i dont have to deal with tension knots again. I can tell u that they were 3 incredibly scary situations that i would never like to repeat. Blue skies, Dave Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  9. This is exactly what PASA does. (South Africa) There is no jump number requirement. Depending on what type of camera you are doing (outside/3rd eye/ tandem aff) you must have met certain skill requirements in a discipline (FS,FF etc) and preferably have at least a B licence. See attached. Blue skies, Dave Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  10. I have been blind since birth like you. The best advice i can give you is, dont make an issue out of it. Focus on the important part, the training. Even students who can see with both eyes struggle with depth perception in the beginning. Student canopies are big and forgiving. You will just have to "learn" your height for landing. Goodluck! Dave AFFI Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  11. 1) Practice 2) Practice 3) Practice 4) Practice!! The better you know what you have to do, the better you will perform. 5) Always have FUN. Even when things dont seem to go as planned. Good luck! David ps. Practice!! It costs you absolutly nothing to practice on the ground!! Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  12. I clip my wings just above the leg strap buckle. Basically I've put an old rsl ring through a piece of old line and tied it to the rig. My wings also have rsl links. No I didnt realise I was on my back during the mal. I guess I was too preoccupied with trying to get my hands under the wings. I could/should have maby been a bit more aware of what was going on?! Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  13. Had an interesting cutaway today. I was doing camera work for a tandem. Freefall was normal. On opening the main (Katana 120) opened hard to one side, goes into line twists and starts spiraling. Tried kicking out to no avail. I was thinking simple, reserve drill. Glanced down to locate the handles and couldn't see them properly. The wings from my camera jacket had folded over them. After looking at the video I found that the line twists had me flying "backwards" under the canopy. This seems to have caused the wings to be pushed forward over the handles instead of backwards behing the rig. I did get my hands under the wings to my handles and from there onward had no further problems. I just thought I'd post this so other jumpers know that this can happen and/or maby to find out if I did something wrong and there's something you can do to prevent this from happening. I jump a custom made Tonysuit Camera Jacket and a Talon FS container. Any thoughts?? Blue skies, Dave Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop
  14. I agree. If you're not in the formation at break altitude, then get ur ass outa there. Were you watchin your altitude chris? Ready...Set...Go..! SkydiveSwakop